Michel Tremblay's story

Building research capacity in Canada

Support from the Society has sustained my research program over the years.

Dr Michel Tremblay was the director of the Goodman Cancer Research Centre at McGill University from 2000 to 2012. His research has been funded by the Society for over 30 years.

When he was a graduate student at McMaster University, Dr Tremblay received his first grant from the Society to support his training. His interest in understanding the molecular basis of cancer took him to the United States National Institutes of Health to develop one of the first gene knockout models in mice. He was supported through a fellowship from the Society during this period. Upon his return to Canada he generated the development of a mouse model that has been used to study cancer, diabetes and inflammation, among other diseases.

Today, Dr Tremblay’s research focuses on understanding a family of genes that can act as cancer initiators (oncogenes) or cancer gatekeepers (tumour suppressors). His work has spawned 2 companies focused on improving therapeutic strategies for patients. In addition, Dr Tremblay’s research has sparked interest from thousands of scientists worldwide who have developed drugs targeting this important gene family.

We are proud to have supported Dr Tremblay’s rise as a prominent cancer researcher in Canada. One of the ways Dr Tremblay has given back to the Society is by volunteering on scientific peer-review committees and by being a member of our Advisory Council on Research. In 2013, he received the Robert L. Noble from the Society for his achievements in cancer research.

”Support from the Society has sustained my research program over the years. Society grants are competitive and have helped generations of scientists build their careers in Canada,” says Dr Tremblay.

The Canadian Cancer Society funds more research into more types of cancer than any other national charity in Canada.